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NY Times, CNN to Travel Aboard Flotilla

Journalists from a variety of news outlets – including the New York Times and full camera crews from CNN, CBS – will be covering the anti-Israel flotilla from aboard one of the ships, according to The Nation correspondent Joseph Dana (who will also report from the flotilla).

While it’s hard to blame reporters for seeking out a colorful story, they should realize by joining the activists on the boat they are actually making themselves a part of the story. They will be with the flotilla when it attempts to violate international law by trying to break Israel’s legally-established naval blockade. And they could potentially interfere with the Israeli military’s ability to do its job if IDF soldiers are forced to board the ships.

The one upside of this development is at least now flotilla activists will have a more difficult time attacking IDF soldiers with knives once the network news cameras are rolling. But the unfortunate downside is these reporters are giving the flotilla activists exactly what they’re aiming for – media attention. Seeing as there’s no humanitarian reason for the flotilla (which is even more obvious now that the Egyptian border with Gaza has been opened), its only point is to generate publicity. The activists are sure to receive a lot of media coverage this time around – and they won’t even have to resort to stabbing soldiers to get it.